well, don't know why it killed your plant... never killed any of mine! BUT I don't get alcohol in the soil... THAT will kill the mealies... but hey, chemicals can be good!

I MEANT that getting alcohol in the soil will kill the HOYAS

Well you or whoever said to use alcohol said to soak the plant with the alcohol and the bugs were next to the soil too. If I had been told to flush the soil I would have. BUT you didn't say to...or whoever told me to use the alcohol didnt say to. I thought it was to harsh to use on the plant. And It killed it off fast! Now I have none and need more badly. I love that little flower it smells so good.

I reread the message, all I saw was to spray with it, which is what I'd do...or use pyrethrins or Bayers systemic, or safer's soap which is also what I do.. you spray the plant, with alcohol and water from a misting type sprayer... I am sorry that you lost your plant... I lost a bunch this summer, I burnt them! :o( then some of their shelves fell over... doesn't feel good to lose your babies. Next time a plant starts to die, cut a cutting off to root it, that way all is not lost.

I have a bunch of hoyas and the oldest is a rope being about 40 years old. Some of the plants got mealies a few weeks ago and I have sprayed them 2 times with alcohol. Got some in the soil just wondering will it hurt them after 2 sprayings....NEED HELP.. Thank you all

Did you drench the soil with the alcohol? I have used it a little here and there on different houseplants and though I never drenched the soil, I never made any efforts NOT to get it on there, either...but haven't lost a plant.

If I had a serious problem, meaning more than a few mealies or any other bug, I would use Safer Insecticidal Soap. It's very mild and does the trick! Alcohol I would only dab on here and there to get a few bugs. I would think that just getting a little alcohol on the soil wouldn't kill the plant, but I am not sure if there is anything you could do at this point, except for taking some cuttings, just in case! I know that isn't what you want to hear when you are worried about a 40 year old plant!! Maybe someone knows if flushing the soil out with water would help?

I didnt really soak it but I wasnt afraid to get it on cuz i was thinking they were in the plant close to the soil. It has been about 9 days since the first shot of alcohol and 1 watering later and they all still look great. I did get some bayer tree and shrub but havent used it yet. Still see mealies here and there but not bad. Any advice where to go from here?

How about using a systemic ( is that what the Bayers is? ) and being done with it?

A little spray-over on the soil won't hurt it. I've used straight rubbing alcohol on nearly all my plants to combat mealies for many years with no ill effect. I think if someone said to "drench" the plant, they must have been referring to leaves only, as in make sure you get undersides and all. Alcohol is a good topical approach, and Bayer's is the systemic method. (Unless it's a hard-to-beat infestation, I prefer not to put anything in my soil because I'm a "feeler" and don't want a systemic on my fingers...) I'm sure no one meant to mislead you - it's always good to clarify details when using a new method of insect control or fertilizer...

You should check with HD or Lowes - lacunosa is the most common Hoya I see sold at those two places.

Denise in Omaha

Yes, I too have sprayed almost every kind of hoya I have with pure rubbing alcohol (I just put a spray top right on the alcohol bottle) at one time or another. I don't spray the soil with it, but I am sure some of the mist gets on the soil sometimes. I have never seen any adverse effects from it. One thing to remember though is to keep the plant out of the sun until it is dry again. Something about the alcohol on the leaves makes the sun burn them. Once it is dry again then it is OK for some sun to hit it.
If you really want to get rid of the mealie problem tho, use the "Bayer Tree & Shrub" systemic to water them with at one ounce of BT&S to a gallon of water. I finally started doing that, and now mine stay bug free for 8 months at a time.
Marcy

Marcy, I just saw that Bayer product in the garden center - I didn't see anything about houseplants on the label, though.
Do you use it on your inside plants as well? I was looking for the Bayer systemic "spikes" but no one seems to have them.

I have moved most all of my plants out for the summer, however I do use it on plants I put in the house. I just do it outside in the fall & wait a couple of weeks before I bring them in. Then in the spring, I wait until they are ready to go out & do it then. However, I have done one or two that were in the house anyway just because I didn't want to move them out. I think it is safe enough. It is the same stuff they use in the dog & cat flea collars.
You don't follow the directions on the bottle (that is for trees and shrubs). You just mix it one ounce per gallon of water & then water the plants. Lasts for 6 to 8 months.

I used to use the spikes all the time...then they quit making them. Made me real mad! The spikes were simple & no mixing. I have no clue why they stopped making them.
Marcy

I think the Bayer product has worked really well for me, but I absolutely have to keep an eye out on my plants that I have in an upstairs window. During summer months, the heat rises and, even though I have fans (and open the window at night to let the cool air in and the hot air escape) & I mist several times a day, I still find those rotten critters loitering on some of my plants - and it is always on the same ones. There seem to be some plants that are far more susceptible than others.

My trick is, like Marcy, to spray the foliage with straight alcohol (I do it at night when it's cooler), and use the Bayer Tree & Shrub once a year - but I am wondering if it is possible to use it more than once a year, or could that be too much for the plant?

Ann

Ann...I am finding I need it more often than once a year. I did them in the fall (Sept and Oct)last year, and when I was repotting some, cleaning them up and moving them out for summer this spring (May & June), I noticed a few mealies on some, so I sprayed with alcohol and used the systemic again. It didn't hurt them a bit, and in fact seemed to do much better after the treatment.
The ones I repotted however, I waited a while before treating to give them time to ajust.
Marcy

Thank you Marcy!!! That is such good news. As soon as the heatwave settles down to a dull roar, I am gonna douse 'em again. I have noticed that, while my plants are all thriving more than ever this year, I have had to contend with small outbreaks of aphids and scale (along with the usual mealies). So I am pleased I have more options for keeping the nasties under control.
Ann

One last question Marcy. Did you follow the instructions (1 ounce to 1 gallon - I think)? Or, did you use a diluted concentration?
Thanks
Ann

Yes, I used one ounce to a gallon jug of water. The instructions for this are not on the label as this product is meant for large plants outside, but the way everyone here uses it is the 1 oz to 1 gal. method. I found the cap of the bottle does not quite make an ounce so I found a little measuring thing from a protein drink that is just an ounce, so I use that & then keep it with the bottle of T&S in the garage.
Marcy

I want to add my 2 cents worth here--
Systemic insecticides like Imidicloprid are a wonderful tool for fighting critters like mealies and scale. Those of us who use the stuff have to be sure we keep it that way. If we don't use it full strength, & if we don't alternate once in a while with some other bug killer, a few of the more resistant pests will survive to pass on their resistant genes. We don't want to develop stronger mealies!! We need to be sure we get every one, with a one-two punch, whether we alternate systemic chemicals, or whether we periodically use a contact insecticide. (The instructions with Marathon/Imidacloprid even say to alternate pesticides so that resistant pests don't survive to make even-more-resistant offspring.) Alcohol works well on nymphs/crawlers. Insecticidal soap helps somewhat. While I haven't used neem oil, I've heard it's pretty effective at that stage, too.
That's my soap-box session for today -- Thanks :)

Thanks, ooojen! Great advice. So, douse a couple of times a year with the imidicloprid and the rest of the time alcohol and insecticidal soap. I think I can handle that.
Ann